Hot springs of Arima Onsen and the first sake
“On the 11th day, the Emperor went to the hot springs of Arima.” Nihon Shoki (The Chronicles of Japan) Scroll 25, Emperor Kotoku I was planning our first trip to…
Shoganai: How to enjoy wagashi with green tea even after an accident
There are many unique drinks in Japan including Ramune, a lemonade with a marble as a cork, strangely named sport drink, Pokari Sweat, strong distilled alcoholic beverage called shochu and…
Yoshinogawa Daiginjo
Yoshinogawa Daiginjo: Half a millennium of sake making from Niigata
BreweryYoshinogawaPrefectureNiigataSake typeDaiginjoMilling ratio40%Alcohol16%SMV+3Acidity1.2 What is the oldest sake brewery? It’s a good question and I spent a good amount of time digging around to find it out. I have to…
Criollo Chocolate
Criollo chocolate discovery
I’m not the biggest fan of chocolate. Even as a child I was not too keen on sweets and ice cream (although loved a Crème brûlée flavoured). But after discovering…
Suzue Aoyama
Japanese inspired desserts and sip of sake
I love Japanese takes on European desserts because Japanese versions are usually lighter and less sweet. Take for example a strawberry shortcake, the most iconic European-style cake in Japan. The Japanese…
Fukumitsuya Kagatobi "Ai" Junmai Daiginjo
Fukumitsuya Kagatobi “Ai” Junmai Daiginjo
I quite regret that I hadn’t taken enough interest in sake before our first (and still only!) trip to Japan in 2016. I was still planning to go to the…
The first post: sake journey begins
Sugidama sake blog will be documenting my journey from a sake novice to someone, who at least understands a difference between Ginjo and Futsushu.
